SRINAGAR: The former chief minister and president of People Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti said that using muscular policies in the state will only result in a negative way in tackling current crises in Jammu and Kashmir.
While addressing the worker’s convention in north Kashmir’s Baramullah district, Ms. Mufti said that if PDP in the upcoming elections will come in power, they will scrap the ban imposed by the central government on JKLF and Jamaat-e- Islami.
Ms. Mufti further added that banning organizations like JeI and JKLF will have far-reaching consequences and such measures only increase the level of alienation and frustration among the people.
She mentions that PDP has a clear stand that ideas cannot be chained, banned or killed. “In a democracy, ideas are allowed to flourish and not choked. By taking such undemocratic, unconstitutional and unnatural measures, the government in actual is trying to show its electorate how tough it is against the Muslims and against Jammu and Kashmir.”
She also assured that if PDP comes to power, it will make strenuous efforts to undo the BJP’s wrongs and revoke the ban imposed on Jamaat-e-Islami and JKLF.
She said that the prime agenda of the PDP is not to allow any muscular policy in the state as this has not yielded any positive outcome. Adding to it she said that it is unfortunate that some people still believe in the efficacy of these methods and are trying to repeat the old mistakes which will be meaningless and will prove counterproductive.
Reacting over the decision taken by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to open Sharda Peeth for Hindu devotees, Mehbooba said that such opportunities need to be grabbed at an earliest so that the dream of a peaceful South Asia realized without any further delay.
“The reality must dawn upon those at the helm that trigger happy approach will not solve the Jammu and Kashmir problem. Confidence building measures, dialogue and reconciliation are the only ways that could protect the state from an apocalypse,” Mehbooba said.
She also cautioned that any fiddling with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is fraught with dangerous consequences and has the tendency to turn the state into a war theatre.
